2012 NFL Draft: Should the Philadelphia Eagles Take LB Luke Kuechly?

Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly would make a great leader for a Philadelphia Eagles defense—and a linebacking corps, more specifically—that lacks it.

His 191 tackles in 2011 are proof of that much—and obviously his nose for the football. The 2011 season is also proof that the Eagles should consider investing the requisite resources at linebacker—five picks in the final four rounds of the draft over the past two years simply won't cut it.

Enter Kuechly, who is widely considered a great fit for Philly. The buzz around Kuechly to the Eagles started a couple of weeks ago, when NFL draft scout Mike Mayock told reporters that he was more impressed with Kuechly than the then-highly touted Vontaze Burfict.

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Mayock unimpressed with Vontaze Burfict, even putting penalty issue aside. Gets enveloped, not great instincts, not first rounder.

— Les Bowen (@LesBowen) February 15, 2012"

And that was before Burfict ran a 4.93-second 40-yard dash on Monday.

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Mayock: If I'm the Eagles and Kuechly's there, (at 15) that might be a slam-dunk for me.

— Les Bowen (@LesBowen) February 15, 2012"

And that was before Kuechly ran a 4.50 40.

Oftentimes, too much is made of 40 times relative to a player's stock. In both Burfict's case and Kuechly's, though, the 40 is the final nail in the coffin and the icing on the cake, respectively.

The chatter of Kuechly to the Eagles continued during the combine, and CSN Philly's Reuben Frank says that hasn't bothered him much.

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“I try not to look at that stuff. In order to get there, you gotta do well, you gotta succeed, you gotta stay healthy, you gotta do all the things right here ... to even have that opportunity.

"So for me, I've heard it from different people, friends and family and other people who have been looking at that stuff, but for me, the primary concern for me right now is doing well here and taking care of business here before I can even look at that stuff.”

"

Kuechly's 191 tackles ranked No. 1 in the country in 2011. Alarming, if only moderately so, is the fact that just 12 of those tackles were behind the line of scrimmage. That doesn't even land him among the top 100 linebackers in college last year.

Specifically for Kuechly's fit with the Eagles, what he showed on Monday was the type of athleticism necessary to cover. While many had said his athleticism could hinder his transition, he proved that shouldn't be the case.

He showed instincts in pass coverage, of which Mayock spoke highly time and time again on Monday during workouts.

Follow @ErikFrenz